Ball of Wax 33 Songs: The Luna Moth – “33333”

The Luna Moth‘s “33333” pretty much hits the musical spot for me right now. Clocking in at a title-appropriate 3:33, the track has a looping, hypnotic pull while still feeling very much performed and improvised. Driven by a pretty bass figure played by our own Levi Fuller, “33333” leans more towards the heady minimalism of Terry Riley or La Mont Young than the soft-LOUD-soft arc of countless post-rock bands of the last 15 years. The instrumentation is certainly rock-based – drums, electric bass and distorted electric guitar – but the feel is more slowcore vamp than buildup/release. Around the 2:25 mark, Mark Schlipper edges up the distortion on his guitar, but it serves as more as a color than a rallying cry to begin a crescendo befitting Friday Night Lights. It’s a brief set piece, but one of my favorite contributions to Ball of Wax 33.